


Love's Strange

by nightbirdrises



Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-17
Updated: 2016-03-28
Packaged: 2018-05-27 05:58:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6272581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightbirdrises/pseuds/nightbirdrises
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><b>Sinking 'verse</b>: This is a story of long-distance, of mistakes made and apologies left unanswered, of isolation and discrimination, of hard decisions and harder ones, of soaring ups and crushing downs. More than anything, however, it’s a story of a ship and his wayward anchor; a boy and his wandering home.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Guess what? It has been _three years_ (on March 12th) since the first part of the [Sinking ‘verse](http://archiveofourown.org/series/156980) was posted! This is a continuation of it to celebrate. And, yes, it was intended to be the prologue for a multi-chapter fic, hence the separate title, POV, style, & summary that’s included.
> 
> Note that this is marked as completed, but there is a chance of me continuing with this. I've had so much of it planned (so many wonderful things) for so long that I'd hate to close the book entirely. This Kurt in particular is so, so close to my heart. 
> 
> [Here's the link](http://princehummel.tumblr.com/post/140907008561) to the post on tumblr, which was actually posted on the 12th.

Kurt Hummel’s reputation is one that precedes him. Everyone knows everything about him, except they don’t. Here’s what they _do_ know, what’s also true:

He is gay. He has sexual experience as a result of Scandals hookups. He belongs to the Skanks, a group that has recently gone down to two members - himself and Quinn Fabray - since the rest dropped out of high school in search of more “noble” ventures. He has a round silver tongue stud, ear piercings (two silver rings in the upper cartilage of his left ear), a small nose stud; has pink dye streaked through his chestnut hair; wears dark, sometimes ripped clothing, a leather jacket on occasion.

He is deaf.

Kurt is unabashedly intimidating, perfectly capable of low insults and retaliation, though neither protect him from incessant gossip. Otherwise he’s quiet, preferring to avoid people rather than go through the trouble of reading their lips - he would most likely only be reading some disparaging comment about his assumed lifestyle, anyway.

He is dating Blaine Anderson, kicker for McKinley Titans football and soon-to-be team captain in Finn Hudson’s place (co-captains, actually - Sam Evans will be the other).

It seems reasonable that Kurt Hummel has little to hide, given what is known. He doesn’t actively hold secrets back, after all. But, at the same time, he does. In his silence he conceals himself behind walls, underneath which lies an entirely different person that few have met. Here is what the general public does _not_ know about Kurt Hummel:

He hasn’t had sex with more than one person in almost a year. He holds none of the lazy values the Skanks held; in fact, he embraces the importance of education - it’s just a matter of getting it (skipping classes, though, he’s had no problem with). He keeps up with fashion trends and implements some of them into his own wardrobe, usually in a subtle way. In stark contrast to Quinn and the past Skanks, he hates wearing dirty clothes. Actually, he kind of hates dirty anything. There’s a tattoo that few see because it’s inked from his right shoulder blade to his chest; it’s in memory of his mother, who passed away when Kurt was eight.

Kurt is deaf as a result of an accident in his dad’s garage in the middle of sophomore year. He was in the New Directions from its start-up that year until he dropped out of it near the beginning of his junior year for reasons no one but he knows, aside from the fact that he can’t hear what he’s singing. He still loves music, despite his bitterness at being unable to hear it.

He despises violence, has only taken part in it once - and that had been because a loved one was threatened. He is kind-hearted, has a love for romance and can’t help but smile when faced with it. He’s a far different person than he was in sophomore year, yet he’s also the same. It’s nothing he can explain very well, but it’s true nonetheless.

At the moment, he’s leaning against the wall of the empty, dirty auditorium, quietly criticizing the way his gown clashes terribly with his hair. He’d like to take it off, but he’s waiting for something. Someone. This someone appears in the doorway just up the stairs and Kurt smiles, bright and unguarded and free. There are no words - he wouldn’t hear them anyway - he simply runs to his someone, not caring that he probably looks ridiculous, and hugs him tight.

Oh yes, there’s one more thing about Kurt Hummel that few know: he is in love; blindly, fiercely, amazingly in love with Blaine Anderson.

“I’m out,” he mutters, still holding on. “I can’t believe it.”

Blaine shakes a little in his arms; Kurt realizes that he’s chuckling, and releases his hold to allow Blaine the room to sign to him.

 **I’m so proud of you** , he signs, eyes shining with the kind of look Kurt would never have expected to get from someone like Blaine. It’s intimately tender and open. **But I knew you’d do it.**

 **I know** , Kurt signs back. Speaking, he’s able to kind of determine whether or not his voice is controlled by the vibrations in his throat. He even prefers to speak - it makes him feel less like he’s not part of the world of sound. But when he doesn’t think he can get through sentences properly, he signs.

Or, of course, he writes on the dry-erase board he keeps on him at all times. It’s slower, but infinitely more accurate than both signing and speaking, especially when he’s rarely around people who understand sign language. Blaine likes the board; he can doodle silly pictures around their conversation, hearts and balloons and, once, a dick in a bow tie.

That had been quite an interesting conversation.

 **So** , Blaine continues on, leaning his shoulder against the wall. **What are your plans for the summer?**

Kurt smirks. **I don’t know. What will I do to pass the time?**

It’s an opportunity, and Blaine takes it. **Me, I hope.**

Kurt nudges Blaine until he has his back against the wall, and crowds in close. There’s no one in the auditorium - the graduation ceremony is long over, and everyone’s continuing their celebration elsewhere - so he feels perfectly at ease with slotting his thigh between Blaine’s. Besides, the whole semi-exhibitionism thing works for both of them.

“I haven’t had a summer with you yet,” Kurt murmurs. “It just sucks that I have to leave afterwards.”

He feels Blaine hum into his neck, and he already knows what Blaine is thinking: Forget about me, you need to go.

The plan is for the two of them to take a road trip to New York City at the end of August, which is where Blaine will leave Kurt to his new life. There will be a job waiting for him at a garage in the city, conveniently nearby his apartment-to-be, so he won’t be without income.

(Kurt isn’t exactly thrilled about the job, given his past accident and the uncertainty of new surroundings, but it’s more than he’d dared to hope for.)

(He’s also not thrilled about the fact that Finn plans to live with him, like he can’t get by without his stepbrother around to help. It’s not like he doesn’t love Finn, but _really_.)

The job had been secured for him by his dad, who made some connections through his own work and managed to find the place and get acquainted with its owner. Kurt’s grateful - but irritated. Grateful that he has this opportunity, however nervous it makes him, but irritated that he had to get a job with help from his own dad.

Blaine tugs at the gown and Kurt returns his focus to the boy in front of him, whose eyes have started to shine with tears. Kurt, in an effort to keep from shedding any tears himself, mumbles, “Don’t cry on this gown, pretty boy, it probably cost a whopping ten bucks.”

He watches Blaine huff out a laugh, his head ducking down in that shy way it always does. God, what Kurt wouldn’t give to hear again, to hear Blaine’s voice and laugh. Sure, there are hearing aids, but part of him doesn’t want to pin what’s left of his independence on a tiny piece of technology; another part of him doesn’t want to find out whether or not any of that stuff would actually work for him. As usual, he sucks up the bitter feelings caused by something so mundane and positive as his boyfriend’s laugh and smiles with him.

 **You think we can manage long distance?** he signs.

 **Kurt** , Blaine responds, **we have a whole summer before we have to think of that.**

Of course, Blaine has considerably less on his plate. His thoughts aren’t weighed down by wondering if he’ll be able to prove that he can live independently in a big city, or wondering how he’ll deal with working among new people who may or may not take issue to Kurt’s various inconveniences. He still has another year, and he’ll be on top of the world of McKinley as a co-captain of the football team. It’s hard not to be at least a little bit envious of him, but Kurt refuses to act petty. He smiles and nods, agreeing for now. A summer is, after all, no small length of time.

**We should go. I don’t want to stay here any longer than I need to.**

Blaine bites his lip and signs, **Okay. First I want to show you something.**

Intrigued, Kurt lets Blaine take his hand and lead him out of the auditorium. They weave in between the graduates and parents that are lingering in the halls. Kurt spots Quinn’s hair - a surprise, as he’d thought she’d have left as soon as possible - but the glimpse is momentary. It’s long enough to notice that she’s standing with Puck; he grins to himself at the thought of teasing her later. She’ll undoubtedly tease him about gravitating straight towards Blaine after the ceremony, so it’ll be a fair and friendly match of wits.

It’s not long before they’re outside, and before Kurt knows it, they’re ducking under the bleachers towards the Skanks’ not-so-secret hideout. He taps Blaine’s arm to get his attention and signs, **What are we doing here?**

 **Just wait here for a second** , Blaine answers, and he goes off in the direction of the shed that they’d once (or twice) used for certain activities, most of which involved the shedding of clothes to some degree. Kurt stands in the middle of the space and looks around at this place that was almost, _almost_ , like a second home. It wasn’t, really, but it was certainly safe, which was enough. He’ll miss having a place like this when he’s in the city. A tap on his shoulder makes him jump a little as he turns around to see Blaine standing there with a familiar backpack in his hands.

 **Oh, when did you take that?** Kurt asks, accepting it. There’s something inside, probably his notebooks. **I didn’t know my boyfriend was a jock _and_ a thief.**

 **I’ll only be playing football for one more year** , Blaine signs. **You’ll have to find another way to refer to me.**

**No, you’re a jock for life. You’ll still be wearing that letter jacket in ten years. It’ll probably still fit you, too.**

Blaine shakes his head with a smile. **Open the backpack.**

“Oh,” Kurt says without thinking, looking at the bag. He opens it and pulls out a slightly bent bouquet of flowers. They’re not just any flowers, though, they’re–

**Cherry blossoms. Do you like it?**

**I love it** , Kurt signs. For once he’s glad he isn’t inclined to speak - if he had to, he’s not sure he’d be able to get any words out. He takes a deep breath, his nose buried in the blossoms. The delicate scent relaxes muscles he hadn’t even known were tense. He puts the bouquet back in his backpack and slings it over his shoulder to free his hands. **Thank you, handsome.**

Blaine smiles. **I know I didn’t know her, but I bet she’d be proud.**

**Even with all the dye and skipping classes?**

**Yes.** **From what you’ve told me, she had a very kind heart. I believe it because you do too. It’s science at work.**

 **Now you’re bringing science into this** , Kurt teases. **Maybe I was wrong about you. You’re actually a nerd.**

Blaine nods seriously. **Of course I am.**

Laughing, Kurt tugs Blaine closer by his shirt and kisses him, muttering an “I love you” against his lips. Blaine tries to pull away, probably to respond, but Kurt keeps him close and takes every bit of him in that he can, from his nose pressed into Kurt’s cheek to his soft lips to his hands on Kurt’s waist. Kurt already knows that Blaine loves him too, he doesn’t have to say it in those words when it’s clear in everything else he says and does. Now it’s just a matter of getting as much of him as he can before he has to leave Blaine behind and face the world more alone than ever.

But if Blaine’s on the other end of all of his text messages, Skype conversations, and so on, maybe he won’t feel like he’s that alone. Maybe having Finn close by will actually help, not in terms of independence but because he’ll be a familiar person with him in an unfamiliar place. It’s New York City, he should be excited.

Still, his doubts persist. For now he’ll have to lose himself in summer - it’s not typically his favorite season, but now that he has someone to help him apply sunscreen, maybe he’ll change his mind - and his family and friends. After that, well, fuck it. That’s something to worry about later.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They made it to the city, but tomorrow Blaine must turn around and leave Kurt behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> due to plenty of positive support, I've opted to try and write what I've been wanting to write for a couple of years! I'm busy so inspiration comes and goes but I'm happy to share what I can. check out the end of the [tumblr post version](http://princehummel.tumblr.com/post/141837771056) for a more personal note from me!

**I want to know your voice**.

It comes unexpectedly, after they’ve exhausted each other in bed and have begun to wind down. The weight of knowing that tomorrow they’ll be separated is starting to sink in; it’s a little reassuring, actually, that Kurt seems to be in a similar mindset, although his thought process seems to be taking him in a different direction.

 **I wish I could show you somehow** , Blaine signs back. Kurt tilts head as he watches his hands.

**How did you get better at this than me?**

The subject change catches Blaine off-guard, but his curiosity compels him to go along with it. Better than Kurt? He’s not sure that’s possible in any capacity. **Better at what?**

 **Signing**. 

 **I don’t know** , Blaine answers honestly. He rolls onto his back to stare up at the ceiling of what is now Kurt’s new room. The sounds of the city at night rumble from outside the window, and he almost comments on it before remembering. Sometimes Kurt appreciates when he describes what he hears, but this doesn’t seem like one of those times. **I watch videos and take online courses and stuff**.

Kurt grunts, a soft noise that gives nothing away. In some ways he’s still as unknown as the day Blaine met him, still prefers to keep things to himself. Kurt taps Blaine on the shoulder and he turns to look at him. **You sign more than I do now. And faster. I don’t understand you sometimes**.

 **I’ve been learning ASL. I think** … Blaine pauses. **I think you learned a different way**.

 **I guess so. You still understand me, right?** Blaine nods. **Then I’ll stay with it**.

**Let’s take a break. Hangman?**

Kurt grins. It’s so much more of a relief to see him smile than to see him deep in troubling thoughts. **Yes, please**.

Finding one of their dry-erase boards is more difficult than he anticipated. They’ve done a number on the bedsheets - the ones that were just perfectly made a mere two hours ago when they finished unpacking Kurt’s things - and while Blaine _knows_ they’re somewhere in the piles of fabric, actually locating them is another thing altogether.

“Oh.” Blaine spins around to look at Kurt, suddenly very aware of how naked he is. It’s way too cold in this apartment to be undressed. “Huh. Fuck.”

They both stare at the dry-erase board in Kurt’s hands. Or, rather, the two halves of it, one in each hand. A ridiculous thought creeps in.  **Did we do that?**

Kurt laughs as he tosses the pieces to the floor. **I think so. I’ll get a new one**.

 **You can have mine** , Blaine signs. He gets back to the search after they put sweatpants on to warm up and finally spots the board; it’s partly under the bed, and how it got there is anyone’s guess. Instead of wondering, Blaine gets back on the bed and sits up against the headboard. Kurt pulls himself up so they’re even, connected from shoulder to hip. _Ready?_

“I was born ready, pretty boy.” It’s always a good sign when Kurt speaks; if it’s not done because it’s necessary, it generally means he’s in a good mood and feels comfortable. Although Blaine knows he wouldn’t mind if Kurt preferred to sign full-time, it’s nice to know he’s trusted in this way. He smiles as he starts drawing up the game.

___ __ __  __ __ __ __  __ __ __ ___

“Well, I have to start with B.”

Blaine shakes his head and draws a circle for the head. Kurt crosses his arms as he studies the puzzle.

“N.” 

Blaine writes the letter in - it’s the very first one. He also writes a hint: _None of the letters repeat, by the way._

Kurt huffs. “I thought you were supposed to be on my side.”

_I am. I love you. But I love winning too. <3_

“Jerk. This is what I get for falling for an athlete. E.”

_N E __  __ __ __ __  __ __ __ ___

_Let me know if you want another hint._

“Fuck no, I’m going to get this on my own,” Kurt says, stressing the last three words. Blaine glances at him, but Kurt’s staring intently at the board, thinking hard. That is, until he notices Blaine’s look and says, “Too loud?”

Blaine shakes his head, but Kurt looks skeptical. _You sound fine, sweetheart._

“If you say so. O.”

_N E __  __ O __ __  __ __ __ ___

“This su– wait,” Kurt says, going quiet. “Blaine?”

_Yes?_

“Is it New York City?”

Blaine grins and fills in the rest of the blanks. _Yes! I knew you’d get it._

“Fucking genius, that’s me,” Kurt says, going for playful confidence but missing his mark when it comes out soft and disheartened. Blaine decides he should ask rather than ignore it.

_What’s wrong?_

Kurt sighs and takes the marker to write. _It’s stupid. Don’t you do that, it is_ , Kurt writes when Blaine takes his free hand. _I’m just scared. I always thought going away from home would be like some kind of freedom but I’ve never been here when I could take in all of it. It’s completely new and I don’t know if I like that idea anymore._

 _You of all people can make this place your own_ , Blaine writes when Kurt passes the marker back. _It’ll just take some getting used to._

Kurt scoffs. _It takes other people only “some” getting used to. I barely even got used to Lima after the accident. I don’t even have a memory of what anything sounds like here to fall back on._

_So you use the rest of your senses._

_B, I love you, but you don’t understand. It’s not that simple._

As true as it is, it hurts a little that Kurt is suggesting that he can’t help. But maybe there are some things that he just needs to figure out for himself. Blaine has some of those things of his own, too. _You’re right. But you have that tattoo for a reason, right?_

Kurt tips his head down to look at his chest, where the blackbird still flies. “Yeah, for my mom.”

_Yes, but more than that. I don’t think you were ever meant to stay trapped in Lima, that would drive you nuts. It’s not easy but once you figure it out, I know you’ll like being here so much more. More room to spread your wings, so to speak._

“You should write a book,” Kurt mumbles, pulling the board from Blaine’s hands in order to wrap his arms around him in a sort of bear hug. With his arms stuck, all he can do is tilt his head questioningly. “You just get so much practice with that thing.”

Blaine shrugs, squirming loose to kiss Kurt’s shoulder. Kurt’s hand slips down to touch the tattoo on his hip, the small anchor that will be his little piece of Kurt while they’re apart. For his part, Kurt has the necklace that Blaine gave him at their private prom.

“Say something. I want to read your lips.”

“I love you,” Blaine says. Kurt rolls his eyes.

“I love you too baby, but that’s easy to read.” Blaine starts to speak again but a yawn interrupts him. Kurt laughs softly. “Maybe another time. Let’s get some sleep. You have a long drive tomorrow.”

Blaine’s heart sinks a little; any drive away from Kurt feels so much longer than it really is. But what can they do? He can’t just drop everything to live with Kurt in New York, just as much as he knows Kurt would have hated to stay in Lima. This separation was inevitable, but hopefully it will be good for Kurt to adjust on his own.

 **I love you**.

It occurs to him only briefly that he has barely accounted for the fact that he will have to make some adjustments of his own. It shouldn’t be that hard, though; he’s well-established at McKinley at this point. He has good friends. He can text Kurt whenever he wants. So his only concern has been for Kurt’s well-being, given all that is changing for him.

 **I love you too, pretty boy. Goodnight**.

 **Goodnight**.

The sudden tightness in his chest and the hot tears threatening to completely ruin their quiet night together suggest that he might have misjudged how difficult this year will be. But Blaine holds back for the sake of a good night’s sleep for both of them. Surely he’s just overreacting.


End file.
